Tell me how you escaped death."

So I told him, and made Bill known, for he was in a fright, thinking
that we should be punished for leaving the beach without leave. It did
me good to see the pleasure the kind captain felt at finding that we
were alive.

By this time some warm turtle soup was brought us, and a little weak
brandy and water, and then we were carried below and put into hammocks.

It was not till the next day that I was certain I was not mistaken about
Toby Potts. He had floated on the very hencoop which I had thrown over
to him, till the next morning, when one of the ships which we had seen,
hove-to, passed close to him, and picked him up. That ship fell in with
the _Rose_ two or three weeks after we were supposed to have been lost,
and Toby was returned on board. The _Rose_ herself had suffered much
damage in a gale, and had put into harbour to repair; she had also been
some time in collecting sandal-wood, with which she was now on her way
to Canton. This accounted for our falling in with her, for I thought
that by this time she would have been far on her way home.

We had a fine passage to Canton, or rather to Whampoa, which is as far
up the river of Canton as ships go. The mouth of the river is known as
the Boca Tigris. The captain kindly took me to Canton; it is a most
curious city. On the river are thousands of boats, the greater number
not more than fourteen feet long, and twelve broad, and covered over
with a bamboo roof. In these whole families live from one end of the
year to the other, or rather from their births to their deaths. Then
there were junks as big as men of war, with huge, carved, green dragons
at their bows, and all sorts of coloured flags. But the most curious
sights are on shore. The city is surrounded by walls, and the houses
look as if they were cut out of coloured paper; the streets are so
narrow that only two sedan chairs can pass, and no wheel carriage enters
them. At each end of the street are gates, which are shut at night and
guarded by policemen. The shops are all open in front, and all sorts of
curious things are sold. The people themselves are odd looking, with
their black hair in long tails hanging down their backs, and their
yellow or blue silk coats, and wide trousers and slippers. The great
men walk about under big coloured umbrellas, or else are carried by two
men in a covered chair on poles. They are a very industrious,
hard-working people, and e